Radio communication system, radio base station, and communication control method

Abstract

A radio communication system comprises a macro-cell base station (MeNB) and a pico-cell base station (PeNB). The macro-cell base station (MeNB) transmits, to the pico-cell base station (PeNB), a throughput representative value (MT) determined from the throughput of each of a plurality of radio terminals connected to the macro-cell base station (MeNB). The pico-cell base station (PeNB) receives the throughput representative value (MT) from the macro-cell base station (MeNB) and changes a bias value on the basis of the received throughput representative value (MT) and a throughput representative value (PT) determined from the throughput of each of a plurality of radio terminals connected to the pico-cell base station (PeNB), thereby adjusting the coverage of the pico-cell base station (PeNB).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio communication system comprising a first radio base station and a second radio base station, wherein
 the first radio base station comprises
 a transmitter configured to transmit information indicating a first throughput representative value to the second radio base station, the first throughput representative value being obtained from throughputs of radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, 
 
 the second radio base station comprises
 a receiver configured to receive the information indicating the first throughput representative value from the first radio base station, and 
 a coverage adjusting unit configured to adjust coverage of any one of the second radio base station and the first radio base station, on the basis of the information indicating the first throughput representative value received by the receiver, and information indicating a second throughput representative value obtained from throughputs of radio terminals connected to the second radio base station, 
 the information indicating the first throughput representative value contains a value indicating a throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, and 
 the information indicating the second throughput representative value contains a value indicating a throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the second radio base station. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the information indicating the first throughput representative value contains a value obtained by averaging measured throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, and 
 the information indicating the second throughput representative value contains a value obtained by averaging measured throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the second radio base station. 
 
     
     
       3. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the information indicating the first throughput representative value contains a value obtained by averaging predicted throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, and 
 the information indicating the second throughput representative value contains a value obtained by averaging predicted throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the second radio base station. 
 
     
     
       4. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the value indicating the throughput of the radio terminal with the deteriorated radio quality contained in the information indicating the first throughput representative value is a value indicating a measured throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among measured throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, and 
 the value indicating the throughput of the radio terminal with the deteriorated radio quality contained in the information indicating the second throughput representative value is a value indicating a measured throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among measured throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the second radio base station. 
 
     
     
       5. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the value indicating the throughput of the radio terminal with the deteriorated radio quality contained in the information indicating the first throughput representative value is a value indicating a predicted throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among predicted throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, and 
 the value indicating the throughput of the radio terminal with the deteriorated radio quality contained in the information indicating the second throughput representative value is a value indicating a predicted throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among predicted throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the second radio base station. 
 
     
     
       6. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coverage adjusting unit adjusts the coverage so as to decrease a difference between the information indicating the first throughput representative value and the information indicating the second throughput representative value. 
     
     
       7. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coverage adjusting unit adjusts the coverage by changing a bias value used for correcting a radio quality value which is referred to at the time of selecting a connecting destination of a radio terminal. 
     
     
       8. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coverage adjusting unit adjusts the coverage by changing transmission power of the radio base station to be subjected to the coverage adjustment. 
     
     
       9. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second radio base station further comprises a determining unit configured to determine whether or not to perform the coverage adjustment of the coverage adjusting unit, on the basis of a value indicating a radio quality that a radio terminal connected to the second base station is expected to have after handover therefrom. 
     
     
       10. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 any one of the first radio base station and the second radio base station is a low-power base station with a lower transmission power than a macro-cell base station, and 
 the coverage adjusting unit adjusts the coverage of the low-power base station. 
 
     
     
       11. A radio base station comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive information indicating a first throughput representative value from a different radio base station, the first throughput representative value being obtained from throughputs of radio terminals connected to the different radio base station; and 
 a coverage adjusting unit configured to adjust coverage of any one of the radio base station and the different radio base station, on the basis of the information indicating the first throughput representative value received by the receiver, and information indicating a second throughput representative value obtained from throughputs of radio terminals connected to the radio base station, wherein 
 the information indicating the first throughput representative value contains a value indicating a throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the different radio base station, and 
 the information indicating the second throughput representative value contains a value indicating a throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the radio base station. 
 
     
     
       12. A communication control method comprising the steps of:
 causing a first radio base station to transmit information indicating a first throughput representative value to a second radio base station, the first throughput representative value being obtained from throughputs of radio terminals connected to the first radio base station; 
 causing the second radio base station to receive the information indicating the first throughput representative value from the first radio base station; and 
 causing the second radio base station to adjust coverage of any one of the first radio base station and the second radio base station, on the basis of the information indicating the first throughput representative value received by the second radio base station, and information indicating a second throughput representative value obtained from throughputs of radio terminals connected to the second radio base station, wherein 
 the information indicating the first throughput representative value contains a value indicating a throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the first radio base station, and 
 the information indicating the second throughput representative value contains a value indicating a throughput of a radio terminal with a deteriorated radio quality among throughputs of the radio terminals connected to the second radio base station.